Health, Movie, and Positivity Buzz

New York, the current epicenter of COVID-19 pandemic in the Americas

A few days ago, the movie “The Day The Earth Stood Still” was shown on HBO. It’s probably the nth time I’ve seen it, not so much because I’m a sci-fi fan, but I truly like the message of the movie. Its reruns during these times have made the messaging more relevant, given that we are faced with a similar crisis. In this 2008 film, headlined by Keannu Reeves (popularly known for movies like Matrix trilogy and the more recent John Wick franchise) and Jennifer Connelly (wife of actor Paul Bettany a.k.a Vision and seen recently in Alita: Battle Angel), an alien adapts a human body (Reeves) with the sole intent to decide on whether mankind is worth saving or need to be annihilated (for all its crimes against both nature and humanity). Along with him came a weapon of mass destruction and spheres that will serve as shelter where animals can take refuge while the earth is being ravaged by locust-like alien creatures until no terrestrial being is left standing. Sounds biblical (Noah’s Ark) and its reference to it only shows how fiction imitates life. So scientists were gathered, among which is Connelly’s character, where she ended up helping Reeves escape when authorities tried to contain him. The crisis escalated when authorities tried to employ military solution on an otherwise scientific (and to some degree philosophical) issue. With this current COVID-19 crisis, it’s sort of life imitating fiction.

One of my favorite cities in the world. To New Yorkers, my heart goes out to all of you. Hang in there. This too shall pass.

So why am I talking about this movie during this time? While running from authorities, Reeves alien character started to understand human behavior. Towards the end of the movie, he learned that there is another side to us. While we can be destructive, we are also capable of change. While we can be selfish and always think of our own self-preservation, we can also love unconditionally and possess empathy, concepts that may be vague to aliens as these are not meant to be understood but to be felt. The message of the film is that in spite of our shortcomings, we can still change for the better. That in spite of human frailty, our emotional and sociological make up set us apart from the rest of the animal kingdom. This is very pertinent and relevant as we are dealing with a health crisis right now. You can look at the alien as the coronavirus trying to annihilate us all, unless we learn how to properly and appropriately deal with it (in the same way that Connelly’s character dealt with Reeves’) and the changes we have to make to survive the crisis.

Global COVID-19 pandemic as of April 22 (Johns Hopkins University)

Knowing how to deal with the crisis and the changes that we have to do will only be meaningful if we acknowledge how this crisis started. I came across the World Health Organization (WHO) timeline in its website (https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/08-04-2020-who-timeline—covid-19) which was last updated on April 12 and also stumbled upon a link that shows a more detailed timeline that fills the gaps in WHO’s account of events. This link directed me to an article published by Hudson Institute in its website (https://www.hudson.org/research/15920-coronavirus-timeline) that was last updated on April 15. Wary of its credibility since it is the first time I’ve heard of this organization, I tried to check its reliability and was able to find a fact check site that rated articles published by this non-profit, conservative right biased U.S. think tank to be highly factual (https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/hudson-institute/). So below are the extracts from both WHO and Hudson Institute timelines (you can check out the sites for the full timelines) that I tried to piece together (verbatim) to get some sense out of what actually transpired these past few months.

Nov. 17: A 55-year-old resident from Hubei province contracts COVID-19, according to data seen by the South China Morning Post, possibly the first coronavirus case. (Hudson) 

Dec. 1: The first coronavirus case now recognized by Chinese authorities is recorded in a Wuhan hospital. The patient was initially suspected to have been infected by an animal (likely a bat) in the Huanan Seafood Market, a narrative now in dispute as researchers propound alternative origins, including that lax security procedures in the Wuhan Institute of Virology led to its escape. (Hudson)

Dec. 8: The first suspected human-to-human transmission is recorded by Wuhan doctors. A patient is observed to have the virus but denies ever visiting the seafood market. (Hudson)

Dec. 25: Wuhan doctors suspect disease transmission from patients to medical staff, further evidence of human-to-human transmission and the first instance of a threat to healthcare workers. Wuhan hospitals have experienced a steady rise in infections since the first cases. (Hudson)

Dec. 27: A Guangzhou-based genomics company sequences most of the virus, showing an “alarming similarity to…SARS.” Samples of the virus are distributed to at least six other genomics companies for testing. (Hudson)

Dec. 31: Taiwanese public health officials warn the World Health Organization (WHO) that the virus is spreading between humans. The WHO never publicizes the warning. (Hudson)

Dec. 31: The same day, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission declares that it has no evidence of human-to-human transmission and informs the WHO of the outbreak. (Hudon). Per WHO, China reported a cluster of cases of pneumonia in Wuhan, Hubei Province. A novel coronavirus was eventually identified. (WHO)

Jan. 1: The Wuhan Public Security Bureau summons eight people to its headquarters, including Dr. Li Wenliang, who initially warned the public about the virus, accusing them of spreading “hoaxes.” Dr. Li signs a statement confessing to his “misdemeanor.” The fate of the other seven is unknown. (Hudson)

Jan. 1: An official at the Hubei Provincial Health Commission orders a genomics company to cease “testing samples from Wuhan and to destroy all existing samples.” The company’s labs had sequenced the virus’s genetic code in December with results suggesting a highly infectious virus similar to SARS. (Hudson)

Jan. 1: WHO had set up the IMST (Incident Management Support Team) across the three levels of the organization: headquarters, regional headquarters and country level, putting the organization on an emergency footing for dealing with the outbreak. (WHO)

Jan. 3: China’s National Health Commission (NHC) orders institutions “not to publish any information related to the unknown disease” and orders labs to “transfer any samples they had to designated testing institutions or to destroy them.” The order did not specify any testing institutions. (Hudson)

Jan. 3: U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Director Robert Redfield receives reports on the novel coronavirus from Chinese colleagues. The chief of staff to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar informs the National Security Council. (Hudson)

Jan. 4: WHO reported on social media that there was a cluster of pneumonia cases – with no deaths – in Wuhan, Hubei province. (WHO)

Jan. 5: WHO published its first Disease Outbreak News on the new virus. This is a flagship technical publication to the scientific and public health community as well as global media. It contained a risk assessment and advice, and reported on what China had told the organization about the status of patients and the public health response on the cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan. (WHO)

Jan. 5: Six days after its China Country office was “informed of cases of pneumonia with unknown etiology” in Wuhan, the WHO “advises against the application of any travel or trade restrictions on China based on the information available on this event.” (Hudson)

Jan. 9: Chinese authorities announce publicly that a novel coronavirus was behind the recent viral pneumonia outbreak. (Hudson)

Jan. 9: Xinhua News Agency first reports on the outbreak. (Hudson)

Jan. 10: WHO issued a comprehensive package of technical guidance online with advice to all countries on how to detect, test and manage potential cases, based on what was known about the virus at the time. This guidance was shared with WHO’s regional emergency directors to share with WHO representatives in countries. 

Based on experience with SARS and MERS and known modes of transmission of respiratory viruses, infection and prevention control guidance were published to protect health workers recommending droplet and contact precautions when caring for patients, and airborne precautions for aerosol generating procedures conducted by health workers. (WHO)

Jan. 11: China reports its first known death due to the virus. (Hudson)

Jan. 12: Chinese authorities share the virus’s genome with the rest of the world. (Hudson)

Jan. 13: The first case outside China is reported Thailand. (Hudson)

Global COVID-19 confirmed cases by country and by city as of April 22 (Johns Hopkins University)

Jan. 14: Nearly six weeks after Wuhan doctors raise the possibility of human-to-human transmission, the WHO issues a statement stressing that Chinese authorities recorded no cases of human-to-human transmission. (Hudson)

Jan. 14: WHO’s technical lead for the response noted in a press briefing there may have been limited human-to-human transmission of the coronavirus (in the 41 confirmed cases), mainly through family members, and that there was a risk of a possible wider outbreak. The lead also said that human-to-human transmission would not be surprising given our experience with SARS, MERS and other respiratory pathogens. (WHO)

Jan. 14: Hubei Provincial officials hold a teleconference with Ma Xiaowei, the head of China’s National Health Commission, who details the threat posed by the new virus. A memo from the teleconference raises the possibility of human-to-human transmission. (Hudson)

Jan. 15: Japan records its first case of coronavirus. (Hudson)

Jan. 15: China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Beijing initiates internally its highest-level emergency response, which includes directions to hospitals to take protective precautions and to begin tracking cases. The directions are marked “not to be publicly disclosed.” (Hudson)

Jan. 18: Wuhan authorities allow nearly 40,000 to gather for the Lunar New Year celebration. (Hudson)

Jan. 20: Dr. Zhong Nanshan, a leading authority on respiratory health who came to attention for his role fighting SARS, confirms that the disease spreads from person-to-person. The head of China’s NHC investigatory team also confirms cases of human-to-human transmission in Guangdong province, indicating spread between provinces. (Hudson)

Jan. 20-21: WHO experts from its China and Western Pacific regional offices conducted a brief field visit to Wuhan. (WHO)

Jan. 21: The CDC confirms the first American case, a Washington resident who had returned from China six days earlier. (Hudson)

Jan. 22: WHO mission to China issued a statement saying that there was evidence of human-to-human transmission in Wuhan but more investigation was needed to understand the full extent of transmission. (WHO)

Jan. 22-23: The WHO Director- General convened an Emergency Committee (EC) under the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) to assess whether the outbreak constituted a public health emergency of international concern. The independent members from around the world could not reach a consensus based on the evidence available at the time. They asked to be reconvened within 10 days after receiving more information. (WHO)

Jan. 23: Chinese authorities announce first steps for their lockdown of the city of Wuhan. Travel from Wuhan to other countries continues uninhibited until group restrictions are put in place on Jan. 27. (Hudson)

Jan. 24: France records Europe’s first and second cases. (Hudson)

Jan. 25: Australia and Canada record their first coronavirus cases. (Hudson)

Jan. 27: The Chinese government suspends group travel to foreign countries (individuals would still travel abroad unencumbered), three days after massive outbound traffic begins for the Lunar New Year. Over those days, travelers journeyed to Japan, South Korea, the United States, Italy, Spain, France, the United Kingdom, and South America. (Hudson)

Jan. 28: A senior WHO delegation led by the Director-General travelled to Beijing to meet China’s leadership, learn more about China’s response, and to offer any technical assistance. 

While in Beijing, Dr. Tedros agreed with Chinese government leaders that an international team of leading scientists would travel to China on a mission to better understand the context, the overall response, and exchange information and experience. (WHO)

Jan. 30: The WHO declares the coronavirus a global health emergency, while expressing confidence in “China’s capacity to control the outbreak.” The organization recommends against border closures, visa restrictions, and quarantining of healthy visitors from affected regions. (Hudson)

Jan. 30: Several provinces and cities extend the Lunar New Year holiday until at least February 13 to halt commerce and travel. (Hudson)

Feb. 1: Responding to the prior day’s announcement that the United States would suspend entry of foreign nationals who had visited China, Chinese officials criticize the move as “neither based in fact nor helpful” and “certainly not a gesture of goodwill.” (Hudson)

Feb. 2: The first coronavirus death outside China is reported: a 44-year-old man in the Philippines. (Hudson)

Feb. 3: WHO releases the international community’s Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan to help protect states with weaker health systems. (WHO)

Feb. 5: The Chinese embassy in Canberra criticizes Australia’s travel ban on entries from mainland China. (Hudson)

Feb. 7: Dr. Li Wenliang, considered by the Chinese public to be the foremost champion of spreading information about coronavirus, succumbs to the virus at the age of 33. His death leads to an outpouring of national anger over information suppression. (Hudson)

Global COVID-19 deaths and recovered as of April 22 (Johns Hopkins University)

Feb. 7: Shortly after Dr. Li’s death, the hashtag “#wewantfreedomofspeech” trends on Chinese social media platform, Weibo. The same day, along with other related topics, it is deleted by censors. (Hudson)

Feb. 11-12: WHO convened a Research and Innovation Forum on COVID-19, attended by more than 400 experts and funders from around the world, which included presentations by George Gao, Director General of China CDC, and Zunyou Wu, China CDC’s chief epidemiologist. (WHO)

Feb. 14: France reports the first coronavirus death in Europe: an 80-year-old Chinese tourist. (Hudson)

Feb. 16-24: The WHO-China Joint mission, which included experts from Canada, Germany, Japan, Nigeria, Republic of Korea, Russia, Singapore and the US (CDC, NIH) spent time in Beijing and also travelled to Wuhan and two other cities. They spoke with health officials, scientists and health workers in health facilities (maintaining physical distancing). (WHO)

Feb. 19: China expels three Wall Street Journal reporters in response to an op-ed headline. (Hudson)

Feb. 21: Iran reports its first coronavirus cases from an unknown source. (Hudson)

Feb. 23: Italy first reports a major surge in coronavirus cases; Codogno, near Milan, becomes the first Italian town to lock itself down. (Hudson)

Feb. 26: A São Paolo man, recently returned from a trip to Italy, becomes the first coronavirus case in Latin America, according to Brazilian health officials. (Hudson)

Feb. 28: Nigeria confirms the first coronavirus case in Sub-Saharan Africa, a businessman traveling from Milan to Lagos. (Hudson)

Feb. 29: The United States reports its first coronavirus death, a patient near Seattle. (Hudson)

Mar. 11: Deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction, WHO made the assessment that COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic. (WHO)

Mar. 12: China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian insinuates in a tweet that COVID-19 originated in America and was spread to China by the United States military. (Hudson)

Mar. 14: Friends of Chinese businessman Ren Zhiqiang report that he has disappeared. Ren had authored an essay blasting the CCP for its slow response to the outbreak, blaming its speech restrictions for exacerbating the crisis. (Hudson)

Mar. 16: WHO and partners launch the Solidarity Trial, an international clinical trial that aims to generate robust data from around the world to find the most effective treatments for COVID-19. (Hudson)

Mar. 18: China revokes press credentials from Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Washington Post reporters. (Hudson)

Mar. 21: Chinese state media outlets circulate reports that “an unexplained strain of pneumonia” may have originated in Italy late in 2019. (Hudson)

Mar. 23: The Hubei Provincial government lifts restrictions on Hubei Province, with the exception of Wuhan. (Hudson)

Mar. 26: Spanish microbiologists report that tests sent to Spain by the CCP detected positive COVID-19 cases only 30% of the time. (Hudson)

Mar. 26: Researchers from University Hospital Ostrava in the Czech Republic report that 80% of the coronavirus antibody test kits received from the Chinese government were defective, likely because antibody tests cannot detect the illness in its early stages. (Hudson)

Mar. 29: The Dutch Health Ministry recalls over 600,000 faulty medical masks received from the Chinese government. (Hudson)

Mar. 31: The Chinese Health Commission admits it has been omitting asymptomatic cases of coronavirus to date and will begin including asymptomatic carriers in its daily counts. (Hudson)

Apr. 14: The Washington Post reports that, in 2018, U.S. Embassy officials sent official warnings to Washington after visiting the Wuhan Institute of Virology. One cable concerned the Institute’s research on bat coronaviruses and warned that their potential transmission “represented a risk of a new SARS-like pandemic.” (Hudson)

Apr. 15: Sources report that the growing consensus among U.S. officials is that the virus originated in a unit studying bat coronaviruses at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which is central to China’s effort to become the global leader in identifying and combating viral outbreaks. (Hudson)

Photo courtesy of Mike Massie

Just like in the movie, the fear of the unknown pervaded the atmosphere, where man’s destructive nature has manifested. Why was the information on the virus and its potential transmission contained from the rest of the world in the early days of contagion? It was not until Jan 14 when WHO technical lead acknowledged that there may be limited transmission. That was more than a month since Chinese doctors first suspected of human-to-human transmission on Dec 8. Those five (5) weeks were crucial, where time is a function of viral transmission and that the spread would definitely have multiplier effect. Why were 40,000 people in Wuhan allowed to gather for the Lunar New Year celebration, six (6) weeks after the first suspected transmission? It reminds me of Philadelphia’s Liberty Loan Parade of September 1918 (featured in National Geographic channel), where more than a week into the Spanish flu virus spread among 600 sailors, the state didn’t cancel the parade and went on with it on September 28 that attracted some 200,000 people (story is also on CNN.com). Philadelphia ended up with more than 12,000 deaths and about 47,000 reported cases in six weeks. A century and a year later, seems like history repeated itself.

Still, the alien (in this case the virus) lives with us. Why did WHO recommended against border closure or travel ban more than two (2) weeks after its technical lead announced that there may be ‘limited transmission’ (a term that, in the context of a flu-like illness, is borderline oxymoron)? How did WHO utilize the information it received from Taiwan on Dec 31 about the potential human-to-human transmission? What did governments of countries with weak health systems do after WHO released the Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan on Feb 3?

There are lots of questions which would likely be left unanswered. One bright spot though was Dr. Li Wenliang. Just like Connelly’s character, Dr. Li tried to understand the alien (in this case the virus), defied and went against the foreign secretary (played by Academy award winner Kathy Bates) and the military (in this case the Chinese authorities) and changed the outcome by facing the crisis with courage, conviction, sense of humanity, and a heart. Like Connelly’s character, Dr. Li became a hero to the world. Unlike Connelly’s character who lives in the hands of the alien, Dr. Li died in the hands of the virus.

(Left) Jennifer Connelly, plays the fictional heroine in the movie who saved the world from total annihilation; (right) Dr. Li Wenliang, the real life hero and whistleblower who succumbed to the same virus he tried to protect the world from. Our prayers are with you and your family.

There are lessons to be learned by just simply going through these series of events. Like anything else, information is key. I can find solutions to a problem if I have all the pertinent and relevant information that I need. Censorship may be a norm under authoritarian regimes, but during these health crises, nothing can be achieved if vital information is suppressed or withheld. Time is of the essence, where the sooner we acknowledge the problem and share essential information, the better the likelihood of a positive outcome. We can set aside ideological differences for the sake of international cooperation. Politics has no space in crisis like this, much more disinformation, especially when lives are at stake. We can prove that in spite of our destructive nature, there is still that other side to us, where we can still care for and look after each other. A watershed opportunity for us to change.

I’m looking forward to the day that the world would stand still and reflect on what we have done (sin of commission) and haven’t done (sin of omission). That day when we accept our mistakes and missteps, that we are our own worst enemy (and not the virus). That day when we start to believe that we can potentially become the virus of future past. Not until we own up to and be held accountable for our sins and frailties that we can truly move on and heal as one.